Music holder and turner.



No. 633,7I0. Patented Sept. 26. I899.

v. a J. T. ZIKA.

MUSIC HOLDER A'ND TURNER.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANTHONY V. ZIKA AND JOSEPH T. ZIKA, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

MUSIC HOLDER AND TURNER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 633,710, dated September 26, 1899.

Application filed Mil-IGh 4e; Serial NO. 707,740- (N0 modelh To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ANTHONY V. ZIKA and JOSEPH T. ZIKA, citizens of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Guyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and usefulMusic Holder and Turner, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to devices for holding and turning sheets of music which are adapted to rest upon or be fastened to the ordinary music-rack of a musical instrument or of a stand. Its object is to provide means for easily and effectually securing the sheetmusic in proper position and for automatically turning sheets which are printed on both sides without further effort or attention on the part of the performer than the mere pressing of a button, thus avoiding the annoyance and confusion so often resulting from the performers efforts to turn the sheets and dispensing with the services of an assistant.

Further objects are to provide means for turning sheets to their original position by pressing the button should it be desired to repeat the performance and also to arrange the device in a compact and convenient form capable of being ornamented and finished to match the design of a piano or other musical instrument with which it is to be used.

\Ve attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the music holder and turner. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a rear view of one of the sheet-holders, and Fig. at is an end view of the same. Figs. 5 and 0 are details of the gearing employed in turning two supplementary sheets. Fig 7 is a plan view of the metallic case with its upper side removed. Fig. 8 is a rear elevation of the inside of same, and Fig. 0 is a sectional elevation on line a: a; of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a front and Fig. 11 is a side view of a releasing device.

The reference-letter A indicates a board somewhat exceeding in height the ordinary sheet of music, which forms the framework of the device and may be ornamented as desired. Set into the upper section of the board is a metallic case B, containing the operating mechanism. This case is preferably made with flanges b, fastened to the front of the board, and a removable back plate b, which may be fastened to the casein a suitable manner and stand flush with the back of the board.

Ordinary sheet-music consists of a folio with music printed on the inside and one or two supplementary sheets, printed on both sides, lying loosely therein. Fastened to the front of the board, on each side, near the top are two clamps O and C, in which the upper edge of the outside sheet or folio is inserted and held. Just above the stationary clamps are swinging clamps D and E, hinged to the case at F. When there is only one loose sheet, it is inserted in and depends from the clamp E; but should there be another loose sheet it is first secured in clamp D and the mechanism is set to swing two sheets. Near the bottom of the board is a push-button G, which consists of a suitable elbow-lever fulcrumed and attached to the board at g, its front arm standing substantially vertical and provided with a disk or button and its rear arm extending horizontally into an aperture in the board and connected by means of a wire or cord 71/ with the spring-stop H in the case.

The clamps for holding sheets of music, as shown in Figs. 3 and it, consist of a strip of sheet metal 0, which is fastened either to the board or swinging arm, the upper edge being bent around a hinge-rod c and notched to receive hinge members 0 of a front clip c, and springs c", which by their pressure against the upper edges of the two plates force the lower edge of the clip against the face of the strip. By means of a handle c on the clip it is easily raised to receive a sheet of music between the two plates,

The power for driving the swinging arms is stored in a spiral spring I, Fig. 8, the outer end being attached to the case and the inner end fastened to the spindle of a ratchet-wheel i, which rotates the toothed wheelJ by means of the pawl i. A winding-key t on the front end of the spindle is arranged to fold back against the case, as shown. The wheel J engages with a toothed wheel K,rigidly attached to a spindle, which has a suitable bearing in the case at its rear end and communicates rotation through a feather and keyway to a sleeve L, fitted to slide upon the front end of said spindle, projecting through the front of the case and terminating in a suitable button or handle 7.:. The sleeve carries three toothed wheels. The middle wheel Z, having teeth throughoutits periphery,when engaging with the crank-pinion M, as in Fig. 9, drives the swinging arm E and is used when only one sheet of music is to be turned; but when there are two loose sheets of music to be turned the button 7c is pushed in, disengaging the wheel Z from the crank-pinion M and bringing the wheel Z into engagement with H and wheel Z into position to engage crank-pinion h which latter pinion operates swinging arm D. The sleeve is held in place by means of a spring-latch 7c encountering one of two groovesin the sleeve, as plainly shown in Fig. 9. The swinging arms hinged at F are each provided with pinions fand j,which extend through the front of the case and are actuated by racks N and N", respectively, said racks being driven by the crank-pinions through connecting-rods O and O. A pin .5, projecting from a disk T, is caught by the hooked end of the spring H at the end of each revolution of the disk and held until released by pressing the button G. The disk T is revolved by suitable gearing between it and wheel K-such as a pinion t, toothed wheel R, and pinion p; but the disk must make one revolution while the crank-pinions M or M make a half-revolution, so that the swinging arm will stop after having moved from one side of the board to the other and thereby turned over the music. A fan-brake Y is provided 'to govern the speed of the mechanism and is driven by a pinion p, the wheel P, and the pinion y or in any convenient manner which will give it the proper speed.

To operate the device for one loose sheet of music which is hung in clamp E, the disk 7; is pulled out, as in Fig. 9. The musician pushes the button G, which releases the mechanism, and the sheet swings over to the left side of the board. Another push on the but.- ton allows it to swing back to the right. hen there are two loose sheets, the first is hung in clamp E and the second in D. The disk 7a is pushed in, as in Fig. 7, the wheels Z and Z occupying the positions relatively to the crank-pinions H and M shown in Figs. 5 and (3. The performer pushes the button G, and the wheels Z and Z revolve a quarter of a revolution, thereby revolving pinion M a half-revolution and turning over the first sheet, while pinion M remains stationary. At the second push of the button the teeth on wheel 7" engage with pinion M and revolve it half a revolution, thereby turning the second sheet,while pinion M has not been moved. At the third push on the button the second sheet turns back, and at the fourth push the first sheet turns back, and then the music is in position to be played over, if desired.

Another method of operating the locking and releasing spring is shown in Figs. 10 and 11, in which a pulley g runs loosely on the lever-shaft g. Another pulley is mounted in the aperture in the board, and an additional cord h is attached to the spring ll, and passing around the pulleys has suspended from its lower end an angle-plate G, which may be pressed by the performer instead of the button G. This plate is designed especially for use on pianos and organs for the purpose of bringing the releasing handle nearer to the keyboard and maybe backed with felt, as shown, to prevent its marring the face of the instrument. It is evident that when our holder and turner is placed upon an ordinary music-stand the cord 7t may be extended down to the base of the stand and attached to any suitable device to be operated by the foot of the performer.

Various modifications can be made in the details of our invention without departing from the principles thereof, since, having described its application as above,

lVhat we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination of a shallow case for actuating mechanism set in the upper section of a suitable board, a swinging arm hinged hereto carrying a clamp for holding the upper edge of a sheet of music, a pinion projecting into the case attached to said arm and journaled 011 the hinge-pin thereof, a toothed rack hung in suitable bearings to engage the said pinion, a pinion journaled on a pin attached to the case and provided with a crankpin, a rod connecting said crank-pin with the rack and adapted to reciprocate the latter, a driving-spring with means for winding the same connected by suitable gearing to the crank-pinion, a locking device adapted to stop the mechanism when the sheet is turned, and an elbow-lever carrying a push-button connected with the locking device for releasing the same, substantially as set forth.

In a music holder and turner, the combination, of a board, a metallic case for actuating mechanism set therein, clamps for holding the upper edges of sheetanusic consisting of metallic strips attached to the board and clips hinged thereto having their lower edges held against the faces of the strips by springs bearing against the upper edges of both clips and strips, swinging arms hinged to the case and provided with clamps similar to those fastened to the board, pinions projecting into the case attached respectively to each of said arms and journaled on the hinge-pin thereof, toothed racks hung in suitable bearings each engaging one of the said pinions, crank-pinions journaled on pins attached to the case and driven through suitable gearing by a spring, connecting-rods between each crankpiuion and its corresponding rack, and means for locking and releasing the swingingarms in proper succession, substantiallyas set forth.

The combination with a case for actuat ing mechanism set in a suitable board, swinging sheet-holders hinged thereto each carrying a pinion projecting into the case, and each pinion actuated by a rack, and each rack rcciprocatcd by a rod connecting with. a crank.-

pinion journaled on a pin attached to the case, a driving-spring and suitable means for locking and releasing the mechanism, of a shaft carrying a toothed Wheel which is driven by the spring, one end of said shaft being held and journaled in the case, the other end having a feather-key, a sleeve fitted to slide on the shaft and be driven by said key, a wheel on the sleeve having teeth around its entire periphery adapted to engage with one of the crank-pinions when the sleeve is in its outer position, two wheels on the sleeve having teeth around a portion of theirperipheries adapted to engage respectively with the crankpinions when the sleeveis in its inner position, and means for holding said sleeve in either of its positions, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with a case for actuating mechanism set in a suitable board, swing ing sheet-holders hinged to the case and actuated by racks and pinions driven through suit-able mechanism by a spring, devices for regulating the succession of the movements of the respective sheet-holders, and a speedregulator, of a disk actuated by the driving mechanism with a pin projecting from its face, a spring fastened within the case having an offset adapted to engage the disk-pin, a guide= pulley mounted in an aperture in the board, a flexible tension member attached to the locking-spring and passing around the pulleys, and a plate adapted to be pressed by the operator attached to the lowerend of the tension member, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with a case for actuating mechanism set in a suitable board, swinging sheet-holders hinged to the case and actuated by racks and pinions driven through suitable mechanism by a spring, devices for regulating the succession of the movements of the respective sheet-holders, and a speedregulator, of a disk actuated by the driving mechanism with a pin proj ecting from its face, a spring fastened within the case having an offset adapted to engage the disk-pin, an elbow-lever fulcrumed near the bottom of the board having a push-button on its vertical arm and its horizontal arm extending into an aperture in the board, and a suitable tension member connecting the locking-spring with the horizontal arm of the elbow-la er, sub stantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures, in the presence of two Witnesses, at Cleveland, Ohio, March 1, 1899.

ANTHONY V. ZIKA. JOSEPH T. ZIKA.

Witnesses:

GEORGE E. RILEY, J. 0. Burn. 

